A Hartlepool business is hoping to start the town's first skateboard tournament.
Communications consultancy Avanticom has pledged up to £1,000 to bring some of the sport's biggest names to town.
The announcement was made at a public meeting in Hartlepool's Grand Hotel on Wednesday night, which was attended by nearly 50 skateboarders, parents, councillors and the business community.
They are campaigning for a safe and supervised indoor skate park as an alternative to the outdoor Mill House facility.
Avanticom, which is based at The Arches, in Park Road, said a showcase event would highlight the popularity of skateboarding in Hartlepool and might highlight a case for improved facilities.
Joe Carter, director of Avanticom, said: "We really sympathise with the plight of the skateboarders because it's so much a part of young people's culture. Hartlepool should be embracing and nurturing that passion rather than rejecting it."
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